| Open Letter to Stonewall Flush Away Transphobia | Earlier this month it was announced that Stonewall was nominating Julie Bindel for an award at their Stonewall Awards at the beginning of November Julie Bindel is a notorious transphobe who in the past has promoted techniques similar to those used by the ex-gay movement to 'cure' trans people. As such her nomination by Stonewall is entirely inappropriate and an insult to all those who have experienced transphobia. Below is an open letter that Polygender Scotland has sent in protest at this decision by Stonewall. We would also encourage as many people as possible to write to Ben Summerskill, Chief Executive of Stonewall to protest this nomination. Dear Ben I am writing to express my concern and disbelief that Stonewall, an organisation founded to promote inclusion and equality, feels it is appropriate to nominate the transphobic bigot Julie Bindel for an award for Journalist of the year. This nomination is an insult to all those trans people who experience with transphobia everyday and to those who have been killed for being trans. That an organisation that is named after an event where trans people took a major role felt this nomination was appropriate is a double insult. As recently as 10th April this year she has been publicly opposing such trans-inclusive measure as unisex toilets. She used the quite correct decision of the LGFF to provide unisex loos as another opportunity for a transphobic rant. This was only the latest in a series of bigoted articles that she's written. Her being a well known lesbian does not excuse her from making bigoted transphobic comments. In fact she bears a responsibility to be better than others as a journalist who is seen as a spokesperson on LGBTI by the general public. A responsibility she ignores again and again. Every time an organisation such as Stonewall validates transphobic attitudes by rewarding those who spout such bigotry you set the cause of all LGBTI equality back years. Homophobia and biphobia have the same origins as transphobia and every time you validate transphobia you also validate homophobia and biphobia. By nominating Julie Bindel you have shown the fallacy of your claims to stand four square behind the trans community in opposing transphobia. Stonewall has over a number of years garnered a reputation of being both trans and biphobic. These awards were an opportunity for you to start to put this reputation behind you. Instead you have entrenched it even more. This is even more unfortunate given the good work that your Scottish office has been doing with trans people for many years. They have worked hard at including all LGBTI and have justifiably been praised as a result. But this good work has yet again been undermined by decisions taken in London, in this case the nomination of Julie Bindel. Surely it is time that Stonewall as a whole learned from Stonewall Scotland and pro-actively pursued true equality and diversity, not just equality for a privileged few. I would strongly encourage you to withdraw Julie Bindel's nomination before it does even more damage to Stonewalls reputation than has already occurred. Regards
Kellineil Richardson |
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